Luis Díaz was one of Bayern Munich’s top performers during his first season with the club. Currently, however, things aren’t going nearly as well for the Colombian. The 29-year-old is lacking consistency, especially in front of the opponent’s goal—and now, of all times, another competitor, Serge Gnabry, is making a comeback.
The numbers highlight Díaz’s current struggles. In six competitive matches and 465 minutes of playing time, the left winger has managed just one goal and no assists so far. Particularly striking: out of 15 shots, the Colombian has already squandered eight clear-cut chances.
This stands in stark contrast to last season. After his roughly 70 million euro transfer from Liverpool FC to Munich, Díaz made an immediate impact. In 51 competitive matches, he scored 26 goals and recorded 23 assists.
He is currently a far cry from that level of efficiency. Díaz himself, however, isn’t letting it faze him. “I’m searching for my best form and will find it soon. I believe that goal will come in the next game,” he told Sky.
Kompany stands by Díaz
The next opportunity comes as early as Friday evening against Union Berlin. Ironically, it was against the Köpenick-based team that Díaz scored one of the most spectacular goals of his career last season.
The Colombian described his goal in the 2-2 draw last November as a “street goal.” Díaz first saved the ball right on the goal line, got back on his feet, and then scored from an extremely tight angle.
“That’s hard to say, because I’ve scored some really, really beautiful goals. But it’s one of the best goals I’ve scored in my career,” Díaz said of his spectacular strike.
Vincent Kompany is also convinced that his forward will soon break out of his scoring slump. Ahead of the Union match, the Bayern coach pointed to the recent performances at Säbener Straße.
“He’s scored an incredible number of goals in practice. It’s been a good week for him. If he can carry that over into the game, then everything will be back on track for him.”
Gnabry is putting more pressure on Díaz
At the same time, competition is heating up in Bayern’s offense. Serge Gnabry is on the verge of making his comeback. In the 2-1 win at Elversberg, the 31-year-old was already back on the roster after his long injury layoff, but didn’t see any playing time.
That’s set to change against Union. “We’ve waited a long time for Serge to give us the green light that he’s feeling good. I expect he’ll get some playing time against Union,” Kompany explained.
In the long run, Gnabry could also become a competitor for Díaz. “Serge played very well in the number 10 position last season, but also on the wing,” emphasized the Bayern coach.
This puts more pressure on Díaz. The Colombian still has Kompany’s backing, but he needs to be more consistent in capitalizing on his numerous scoring opportunities. In any case, he’s not lacking in motivation: “I always want to strive for more, to achieve more.”
Against Union, Díaz now wants to prove his own prediction right and end his goal drought. At the same time, Gnabry is returning—a player who is likely to significantly intensify the competition in Bayern’s offense.